Hope for Tomorrow (7 page)

Martha headed to the library and returned with a notebook which she handed him.

Slowly he looked through the pages. Many pages had entire outfits since she had started the book to house her dressmaking ideas but as she had become more interested in Gus's business, she had often often found herself focusing on just gloves.

“
They're just basic styles,” she said when he reached the first glove designs. She had drawn them to try and understand what he meant when he mentioned things like tranks and half fourchettes.

Some of the drawings were labelled, either with the components of the glove or notes on the materials to be used. Some were basic, some were more elaborate and lined with silk or cashmere, others were trimmed in fur. As he got to the final few pages though, the sketches really came to life and some she had even coloured slightly to give a better impression of what they would look like.

One pair in particular caught his eye; a pair made from red dyed, hairsheep leather and encrusted along the points with semi-precious stones. The gloves ended half way up the forearm and the top was trimmed with a small row of reddish fox fur and red ostrich feathers.

He continued leafing through to see more elaborate designs; some lace, some leather, some a combination of the two. She had based a lot of the designs on dresses that she had seen Lady Beaumont wear, incorporating features of the dresses so that they matched.

“
That's how I imagined Queen Elizabeth's gloves would have looked from a description I read,” she said as she cringed at the over-ornate gloves he was looking at. It had just been a flight of fancy on her part really.

He continued on without comment and the longer his silence lasted, the more worried she became. Of course they were rubbish. She had never even meant to show these to Gus but she had just absorbed information about his product over the past two years, almost by osmosis and sometimes found herself sketching gloves on occasion.

Gus reached the last sketch in the book and closed it.

“
My dear,” he said, his voice was grave and her heart sank. “Some of these are truly extraordinary!”

“
What?” She couldn't believe that she had heard him right.

“
Pardon,” he corrected her.

“
Sorry. Pardon?”

“
I said they are extraordinary.”

“
Really? You like them?”

“
I do. May I keep this book?”

“
Of course,” she grinned. “The designs are yours.”

“
Thank you, my dear.” He smiled warmly at her. He had an idea forming in his head but he needed to work out the details before he said anything to her.

Over the next few days Martha noticed that Gus corrected her speech and grammar a lot more than usual but she wanted to improve herself so she listened. On the Friday he surprised her by returning home in the afternoon and introducing her to a Miss Sally Benton, a nanny.

“
But I don't need a nanny!” Martha protested.

“
Yes you do. Miss Benton, take Hope to the nursery for a while, would you, I need to speak with Miss Dawley.”

The nanny introduced herself to Hope and asked her to show her to the nursery. Hope was a little shy, she didn't meet many strangers, but when her mother nodded, she did as she was told.

“
Come,” Gus told Martha, guiding her into the study.

They settled at his desk for a change, Gus behind it and Martha opposite him.

“
What's all this about?”

“
This is about you and your new life,” he said. “Your sketches were brilliant, quite inspired and I would like to employ you as a designer for my company. You will be required to design the custom made gloves and the everyday ones in a range of styles and materials to suit every purse.”

“
I don't know what to say,” Martha was bemused. 

“
Say 'yes' and let's start putting that fine brain of yours to use,” he urged.

“
But what about Hope?”

“
Ah, yes, well there will need to be some changes. The nanny to start with and as Hope grows, we will also have to employ a governess for her education. The house will need opening up, obviously, as we will have to start entertaining again. We will need a new housekeeper, probably three maids and a lady's maid for you, my dear. You will have to move out of the nursery since the nanny will sleep there but there are plenty of other rooms on that floor that you can take. We will have to improve your wardrobe as well.” He held his hand up, knowing what her response always was when he suggested buying her clothes. “I cannot have a designer representing my company in my mother's old clothes! They are fine for a housemaid but you were never really just my housemaid, Martha, and now your wardrobe must fit your new status in life.”

“
And what is my new status in life?” she asked, slightly dumbfounded by all his suggestions, not to mention his complete change of heart on the closed-off rooms.

“
My daughter and my partner,” he said. “You have lit a fire in my belly that I haven't felt since Gideon worked with me. You, young lady, are going to help me revolutionise the company and help guide us into a new era of creativity.”

Martha still couldn't process his words.

“
I know it's a lot to take in,” he said. “But I would like to formalise our arrangement and adopt you.”

Martha's confusion gave way to dread and she felt the sting of tears. Now he would find out the truth and hate her for it.

“
My dear, what's wrong?”

Martha dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.

“
We can't do this,” she said, though her voice was hardly more than a whisper. “I... I am not an orphan.”

“
Oh, my dear, how thoughtless of me.”

He came around the desk and perched on the edge of it so that he was looking down at her. Martha thought their positions very fitting and kept her head bowed.

“
I'm so sorry I lied but...” she couldn't excuse her behaviour. “I'm sorry.”

“
My dear, I know that Hope is your child and I half suspected that you weren't an orphan.”

“
What?!” she looked up, shocked.

“
Well you never made the baby any liquid food and your bond was much closer than siblings. I should have said something to you but I didn't want to embarrass you.”

“
You knew?”

“
Yes.”

“
And you don't mind?”

“
Perhaps once I might have looked down on you but that was in a different life. You saved my life that night on that bridge; I was ready to give up on humanity and myself but you and Hope gave me a reason to go on living. You could have shot the Queen and I would not have cared one jot because to me, you and your precious daughter were heaven-sent.”

To his complete dismay, rather than comforting, her she broke down in large sobs.

“
Oh dear,” he patted her shoulder awkwardly. “It seems that I have said the wrong thing yet again.”

“
No,” she said, smiling up at him though she was still crying. She stood up and put her arms around him, holding him tightly. “Thank you.”

Gus returned the gesture, though he was a little uncomfortable.

Martha pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“
For so long I have been worried that you would discover my secret and kick me out.”

“
Then let me make myself perfectly clear. You are now my daughter and Hope is my grandchild. You will become my heir and I will make you a quarter owner in the company, just as my son was. Upon my death, other than a few bequests, my estate will go to you and Hope. It is my dearest wish that you and Hope will take my name, Aldercott, and become my family. It will make me the happiest man alive.”

Martha smiled; how could she refuse him that?

“
We will take your name and I will work for your company but I cannot take part of your business from you.”

He had thought that she might say that. Still, it was his to give and he wasn't about to cause an argument over it.

“
Very well, then it is settled,” he said. “I am afraid that you will have to maintain the charade that Hope is your sister, at least to the outside world. Still, since you are called Martha I think that you will be able to get away with her calling you 'Mar' for a few more years.”

He returned to his desk chair.

“
Now to the formalities. The company name will change from Aldercott & Son to Aldercott & Daughter. Daughters should Hope one day decide to join us.” He then went on to explain the plans for the new branch of the business, explained that she would need a proper vocal coach to lose the last traces of her accent. Plus a full wardrobe of new clothes and she would need to study fashion, recent trends in London and Paris as well as interior design, as decorating the shops was to be her domain.

“
I will handle the hiring of new household staff, though you will have full approval on anyone charged with Hope's care.”

“
This is all too much,” she said.

“
You will get used to it,” he assured her. “Now, the dressmaker is coming for a fitting tomorrow afternoon. She is travelling up from London and I chose her for a very special reason; she is the one making the Duchess's gown for the Christmas ball. She will likely be much more willing to open up to another customer and prove her credentials to you.”

“
All right.”

“
Good,” he grinned. “Now, go and spend some time with the nanny and see if you like her or not.”

Chapter Seven

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity as Martha learned how the office worked, what her role was and how to play her part in society with the help of deportment lessons and etiquette books. Then there were the endless fittings for her new wardrobe, the legalities of changing her and Hope's name to Aldercott, renovating the shop premises and planning the look of both the Penchester and London shops.

Then there was the house itself, which was buzzing with activity as the new staff set about removing the dust sheets and cleaning the place until it shone like a new pin. Martha had no intention of changing her outfit a dozen times a day and so didn't want a lady's maid but Gus was insistent. Eventually they compromised by employing a housemaid who (after a little additional training) could also act as her lady's maid. Martha was happy with that arrangement.

Martha also devoured newspapers for mentions of fashion and once her new wardrobe was made, she ventured into some of the wealthier stores in town to see how their patrons were dressed and how the establishments had been decorated to suit the rich.

Each evening she was glad to reach home and see her precious baby and each morning she felt awful to be leaving her again.

She liked the nanny that Gus had chosen and thought that she would care for and look after Hope but still she felt guilty for leaving her, especially when she and Gus journeyed south for two nights to oversee the renovations of the London shop. She had never left her child for so long before but now she had a real chance to forge a future for her and Hope; she couldn't pass that up.

The dressmaker had indeed been happy to talk about the Duchess of Wessex's dress and Martha asked so many questions that eventually she showed her a sketch of the dress. Suddenly Martha was full of ideas that would help match the gloves to the dress.

The dress was ivory and the Duchess would be wearing pearl jewellery to match and so the design that they chose was made of the finest, softest ivory cambric and randomly embroidered with tiny pearl-coloured Cairngorm quartz beads. These became closer and closer together until the beads formed a solid pattern just below the elbow, so it looked much like a bracelet. A central cluster of larger beads (which looked a little like a brooch) would sit at the side of each arm, facing outwards.

Gus was perplexed and slightly disappointed when he saw that she had drawn a hole on one of the fingers. He had wondered if she was actually up to this challenge or if she was floundering.

Martha explained that the duchess's engagement ring sat on that finger and that she rarely wore gloves because she liked the stone to be on display.

Gus already knew that Martha was a hard worker from how well she had looked after the house but now he could see that she was also conscientious, since she had clearly done her research not only into gloves but also into the intended recipient.

It took one seamstress two weeks to hand sew the beads onto the gloves but when they were finished, they were quite a sight to behold.

Martha had also begun researching the Duke and she had gained impression that while he liked elegance, he was much more practical than his wife. He wore attractive clothing but he also wanted it to be fit for purpose. For him she designed in p
eccary
leather with a warm cashmere lining since he would be likely to spend a lot more time outdoors than his wife. She kept the design simple, adding only three points along the back of the glove and trimming them in grey wolf fur at the wrist.

The design for the shops was simple to highlight the gloves but with a lot of mirrors, both so that clients could see their resplendent reflections whilst trying the gloves but also to reflect light since shops could be dark places. There were a few ornate touches, such as the chandelier which could be lit on dark days to provide more light.

Martha and Gus journeyed to London a further two times both to check on the shop renovations and to hire staff to run it. They found a seamstress, Mrs Hunt, who had a good reputation for her work but was struggling to raise her family following the death of her husband. She was thirty years old, very personable and friendly, with three children aged five to ten and most importantly, she had an excellent eye. She could tell with just one look at Martha's dress which gloves would go best with it and when Martha described an evening gown, she again picked three samples which would complement the dress very well.

Mrs Hunt was to be front of house. The paperwork, orders, stock and accounts would be handled by Mr Myers' son, William Myers, who had worked as a salesman for the firm since he had left university. He had made some very useful contacts in London, he was trusted by Gus and he was also looking forward to the adventure of moving to London and branching out, not exactly on his own but at least away from his father's shadow.

The shops had a window display that would be regularly updated and changed to show the latest fashions. Their wares were further displayed on shelves along both side walls. The back wall was one large mirror mounted over a fireplace. In front of the fire was a coffee table and a cluster of armchairs where customers could sit and enjoy tea and cakes while they tried on various gloves or were measured for a bespoke design.

On the coffee table sat a collection of Martha's designs which customers could order or simply use to draw inspiration from. They also made books of swatches so that customers could see the different materials available, from leathers to lace to furs, as well as containing a colour guide so that the exact right shade could be ordered when the gloves were made to match a specific gown. All of this could also be easily packed up so that Martha or Mrs Hunt could visit special customers in their own homes if required.

Martha was to be based in the shop, having a small room in the back where she could work when there were no clients. She would handle the stock, orders and the shop's accounts but the other paperwork would be handled by the workshop.

Martha and Mrs Hunt would sketch the bespoke designs for the customers which the glovers at the workshop would then turn into a reality. As an added original feature, the signed sketches on Aldercott & Daughter headed paper would be sent along with the gloves to the customer, proof that they were a one off, designed especially for them.

Each premises also employed a shop-girl who would make the tea and cakes, inform the designer that a customer had come in, collect different sizes of off-the-peg gloves from the stock room as well as run out for errands when necessary.

Both shops were ready to open by November, stocked with both the the gloves that had been over-ordered as well as many new designs that Martha had thought of. Her off-the-peg designs had also proved very popular with their existing customers and Gus had already taken on five new glovers and thought that soon he might need to take on even more.

The London shop was a small unit on Savile Row, among some of the best dressmakers and tailors in Europe. The Penchester shop was on the main street through the town but they had been lucky enough to be able to buy a store just a few shop fronts away from Sharp & Co Milliners, a well-respected hat maker. By mutual agreement, Aldercott & Daughter stocked some samples from Sharp's hats while Sharp also kept a few pairs of Aldercott's gloves on display, each shop pairing them with matching items. The hope was that people visiting one shop would see something they liked and then be much more inclined to visit the other.

The Duke and Duchess of Wessex arrived in Penchester on the first of December and booked into the Grosvenor, the best hotel in the town; some said the whole county. Gus was keen to send the gloves over straight away but Martha convinced him to wait.

Gus was firmly middle class, his parents were moderately well-off and he had then further built upon their success.

Though she no longer looked or sounded it, Martha was definitely from the working classes but unlike Gus, she had the advantage of having spent six years working for the gentry which meant that oddly, she knew more of their habits than he did.

She explained that they would be inundated with gifts from locals on the first day, many of which would have been delivered before they even arrived. The second or third day of their visit was a much better time to send a gift as it was much more likely to be noticed by the intended recipient.

Gus was learning to trust her judgement and agreed to wait. The gloves were hand delivered by the workshop messenger (dressed in his Sunday best) along with two dozen ivory roses and to everyone's surprise, the messenger reported that it was the Duchess herself who opened the hotel suite door to him!

Martha couldn't take credit for that but she thanked God for the immense good luck that he had bestowed upon Gus that day.

She was working in the back room of the shop the day after the the gloves had been delivered when a flustered Mary, her shop-girl, ran in.

“
Mrs Wessex is here. I mean Mrs Duchess. I mean the Duchess of Wessex is here!”

Martha hadn't been expecting that. She stood up and hesitated for a moment before she determined a course of action.

“
Stay while I see if she would like refreshments. If she does, serve us then take a cab to the workshop and get Mr Aldercott. If she doesn't, just go and get him.

“
A cab?”

“
A cab will be faster. Here, take this,” she shoved some coins at the girl.

Mary nodded and followed Martha into the shop. Martha curtseyed to the Duchess and her female companion. Thankfully she had served quite a few people since the shop had opened and so she had some practice at remaining calm and unflustered.

“
Your Grace, what a lovely surprise. Please, take a seat.” She gestured to the seating area around the fireplace.

“
Oh, how lovely that you have a fire,” the Duchess said as she sat down. “This is the warmest that I've been since I left the hotel this morning.”

“
Would you like some refreshments?”

“
That would be marvellous, thank you.”

Mary ran off to prepare the tea.

“
So how can I help you this morning?” Martha asked, folding her hands together in her lap so that they didn't shake.

“
I actually came to tell you how much my husband and I loved your gifts. My gloves especially are such things of beauty that it almost feels seems a crime to wear them.”

“
You're too kind,” Martha smiled.

“
Nonsense. Anyway, I came here to see if I could meet the lady who designed such exquisite items and to see if perhaps you have any other interesting gems hidden away.”

“
We have lots of lovely and practical gloves in stock but your gloves were bespoke, so only one pair was made.” She opened the portfolio on the table and handed a number of sketches to the Duchess. “These are some ideas for other bespoke pieces, or I can design you something completely unique.”

“
How marvellous,” the duchess said as she browsed the sketches. “Such innovation, where do you get the ideas?”

Mary returned and placed the tea tray on the table and Martha served while Mary ran off to find Gus. Thankfully the factory was just three blocks away so it wouldn't take her very long to get there.

“
I take inspiration from all sorts of places. Some from historical sources, some ideas even come from buildings or nature.”

“
And how did you get my gloves to fit so well without ever having met me?”

“
I looked at drawings and portraits of you and then found a lady with similar proportions and measured her hands.”

“
Inspired, my dear. Now, I would like to purchase a selection of evening gloves from you, if I may, the only problem is that I haven't quite decided on the colours for next season's dresses yet.”

“
Then shall we choose some designs today, then your dressmaker can send me samples of the material she is using so that we can match the colour.”

“
That sounds very sensible indeed.”

The Duchess began by commenting on features that she liked on the sketches and Martha combined them together to come up with five unique designs. Some were very simple, one pair just dyed silk with tiny details. Others were more ornate, with fur trim, ostrich feathers, beading and jewels. She then ordered a further five pairs of day gloves in leather. Brown and black pairs in the finest leather with fur trim, then a black leather pair, lined with silk that came to the mid-forearm and had button detail along the side.

She went further and ordered two pairs of simple red and green leather gloves which she thought were likely to match a number of her day outfits. Coloured leather (other than black and shades of brown) was actually quite rare so the gloves were still unusual.

Finally, almost as an afterthought, she ordered a pair for her husband.

Martha costed the materials and labour, just as Gus had taught her; she then added a profit margin and further mark up since the gloves were not to be made for anyone else.

The size of the bill made her feel quite queasy.

“
Don't worry about cost,” the Duchess said, seeing what she was doing. “My husband does so like for me to look pretty. Just send the bill with the gloves.”